Top construction



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,696,937

P. E. BRENEMAN TOP CONSTRUCTION Original Filed March 17, 1926 ATTORN Patented Jan. 1, 1929".

urrsn STA 1,696,937 PATENT OFFICE".

PAUL E. BBENEMAN, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB TO THE STUDEBAKER COR- .PORATION, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TOP CONSTRUCTION.

Original application filed March 17, 1926, Serial No. 95,313. Divided and. this application filed November 15, 1926.

March 17 1926, serially numbered 95,313.

The principal object is to provide a new and novel top construction which will be simple in construction, light in weight and economical to manufacture, particularlyin quantities.

Another object is to provide a top of the permanent type with side rails constructed of sheet metal to embody frame members and shaping members.

Another object is to provide a side rail for a vehicle top of the permanent type composed of a sheet metal frame member having a door stop portion produced during the forming of said frame member, and a coved sheet metal shaping member, both of said members being secured together along their outer edges to form a longitudinal drip trough.

Another object is to provide a vehicle body with a top of the permanent type which will be constructed chiefly of hollow metallic side rails, wooden tacking pieces, sheet metal cross bars, and front end rear cross members.

Another object is to provide a vehicle body with a top of the permanent type having a hollow sheet metal side rail shaped along its outer edges to provide a drip trough and shaped along its inner edges to provide a groove for receiving a tacking strip.

A further object is to provide a side rail for a vehicle top comprising a sheet metal frame member and a sheet metal shaping member joined together at their outer edges to provide a longitudinally extending drip trough and having stepped inn-er marginal portions co-operating to form a tacking strip receiving trough.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the present invention, and in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a por- Serial No. 148,482.

tion of a closed vehicle body, showing a top therefor embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective sectional view of one of the side rails of the present invention, taken transversely therethrough adjacent one ofthe top cross bows. Figure 3 is a section of the side rail shown 1n Figure 2 taken longitudinally through one of the cross bows, showing the method of securing the same to the side rails;

Figure .t is a perspective'view of one of the cross bow attaching members used in con nection with the side rails.

The top, in general, as best illustrated in Figure 1 is built up in such a manner as to embody a pair of longitudinal side rails: 10, a plurality of cross bows 64 holding the side rails 10 in spaced relationship, a front cross member 12 and a rear cross member 13, all of which are first preferably assembled to make up the top structure and are then attached to the vehicle body as a unit. This unitary structure is supported by and attached to the body rear quarter panel 14 and body posts or pillars 15 by bolts or any of the other conventional fastening methods.

Referring now to the side rail construction shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower portion of each rail 10, which will be referred to in the following description as a longitudinal frame member, provides the support for the top structure on the panel 14 and pillars 15 just mentioned. This frame member regardless of its irregular contour, may be very economically and easily produced by stamping it in one or more operations from a single sheet of metal. It is formed to provide a substantially horizontal portion 52, the outer marginal edge of which is turned upwardly to form a flange 53 and the opposite edge of which extends downwardly a short distance and is then bent back on itself in spaced relation to form the downwardly extending door stop 54 for the upper edge of the door 37 which is adapted to co-act therewith. The reversely bent port-ion extends upwardly from the door stop 54: to form a vertically extending wall portion 55'and the metal at the upper edge thereof is bent inwardly at right angles thereto to form the horizontal face 56 and then upwardly to form the vertical face 57, the marginal edge of which is turned inwardly to provide a horizontal flange 58; in other words, it is stepped upwardly and inwardly.

The cross bows 64 which span the side rails 10 are trough shaped in form and are provided with T-shaped stampings welded to the inside faces of the sides and bottoms of the same at the extreme ends thereof. The cross bows 64L are secured to the side rails 10 preferably by welding the top surfaces thereof to the under surface of the frame member horizontal flange 58, and welding the wings 66 of the T'shaped stampings 65 to the frame face member 57, as shown in Figure 3. It is noted that the cross bows M are troughshaped in form and may be stamped economically from sheet metal but it is to be understood that they may be of any suitable shape and may be constructed of wood or other material. The stampings as shown are better adapted to the present invention as they are lightin weight, and are easily attached to the side rails 10.

To lend a neat and more finished appearance to the structure and to strengthen the structure as a whole, a shaping member having for the most part a convex outer surface 51, preferably adapted to form an exterior finishing surface portion for the top, is provided. This member like the frame member just described ma y be stamped in one or more operations from a single sheet of metal to form the curved outer surface 1 previously mentioned, and to form on the outer edge thereof a narrow horizontal portion and an upwardly turned flange to provide a drip trough 59. The inner edge is stepped downwardly and inwardly to provide the vertical face 60 and horizontal leg 61. The shaping member is positioned on the frame member so that its outer edge abuts against the surfaces 52 and 53, the extremity of the marginal edge 53 being turned over and crimped against the flanged edge of the member 51, thereby securing the frame and shaping members together. The horizontal leg 61 abuts against the horizontal face 56 of the frame member and is preferably welded thereto. The joining of the frame and shaping mem bore in this manner provides a rectangular shaped trough bounded by the faces 5'7 and 60 and leg 61, which receives a wooden tacking strip 62 held in place by suitable wood screws 63 which extend through the metal of the frame base portion 56 and the shaping member horizontal leg 61, and into the bot tom thereof.

It may be seen from thepreceding description that a top of light construction for a vehicle may be built very simply and economically by using practically all sheet metal parts shaped essentially as shown, but it is to be understood that other shapes, materials for some of the parts, and securing means other than those mentioned, may be used.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit and substance of the broad invention the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a vehicle top of the permanent type having side rails comprising a coved sheet metal shaping member and a sheet metal frame member secured together along their outer edges, the inner marginal edge of said frame member being provided with a vertical portion terminating in a horizontal fian 'e, trough-shaped metal cross bows having tie sides of the trough portion flanged outwardly in opposite directions, and T-shaped bracket members secured to the ends of said cross bows, the flange portions of said bracket members being secured to said vertical portion of said frame member and said flanged portions of said cross bows being secured to said flange of said frame member.

2. A vehicle top side rail of hollow construction comprising a pair of longitudinally extending sheet metal members joined together along their edges, one of said members being positioned below the other of said 1nembers and having an inner horizontal portion bounded on its inner edge by an upwardly extending vertical wall, the inner edge of the upper of said members having a downwardly extending vertical wall terminating in an inwardly extending horizontal flange, said flange being secured to said horizontal portion of said lower member whereby to form the bottom of a troughbounded on the sides by said vertical walls.

3. In a hollow metallic side rail for vehicle tops, a frame member step-shaped in form comprising three horizontal portions and two riser portions, the connecting portion between the lower of said horizontal portions and the lower of said risers providing a door stop, and a coved shaping member secured along its outer edge to the outer edge of said frame member, provided at its inner edge with a downwardly extending portion having a horizontal marginal flange abutting against the central horizontal portion of said frame member; said flange, said downwardly extending portion of said shaping member and the upper of said risers of said frame member "oviding a tacking strip receiving troug 4. In a vehicle top of the permanent type, a side rail comprising a stepped frame memher having a horizontal portion terminating in a vertical portion, and a coved shaping member having a vertical portion terminating in a horizontal portion adapted to be seated on and secured to the horizontal portion of said side rail to provide a tacking strip receiving trough.

5. A. vehicle top side rail of hollow construction comprising a sheet metal frame member and a sheet metal shaping member joined together along their outer edges to provide a drip trough said shaping member having a vertical portion terminating in a horizontal portion at its inner edge, and said frame member having a horizontal portion seating against the horizontal portion of said shaping member terminating in a vertical portion positioned in spaced relation to the vertieal portion of said shaping member, said members being secured together adjacent their inner ends to form a tacking strip re ceiving trough formed by said vertical and horizontal portions of said frame and shaping members.

Signed by me at South Bend, Indiana, this 11th day of November, 1926.

PAUL E. BRENEMAN. 

